A blast from the previous
Older people could recall the well-known Tektronix 576 and 577 curve tracers from half a century in the past. A number of of those have survived the a long time and ended up in some fortunate engineer’s residence/work lab.
Wow the engineering world together with your distinctive design: Design Concepts Submission Information
We have been in a position to purchase a Tek 577 curve tracer with a Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixture from a neighborhood surplus home that had been used at Sandia Labs, nevertheless it was not practical. Even being non-functional, these previous relics nonetheless command a excessive value, which set us again $500!! With the assistance of an on-line service handbook and a few detailed troubleshooting, the previous 577 was revived by changing all the facility provide’s electrolytic capacitors and some op-amps, plus eradicating the modifications Sandia had put in.
As soon as operational we went on the lookout for the varied Tek system below take a look at (DUT) adapters for the Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixture, these adapters are certainly uncommon and likewise costly which despatched us on the DIY journey!
The DIY journey
Observing an identical path to Jay_Diddy_B1 [1], we got down to develop a DIY adapter to interchange the uncommon and costly Tek variations. Like the favored T7 multi-function element tester, which employs a small ZIF socket for leaded-component attachment that works very properly; we determined to do the identical for the customized Tek adapter utilizing the proper and left sides of the ZIF socket to facilitate DUT comparisons with the Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixture. This may be seen in Determine 1.
Determine 1 Customized ZIF-based Tek 577 adapter the place the proper and left sides of the ZIF socket facilitate DUT comparisons with the Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixture.
As proven in Determine 2, a low-cost PCB was developed with SMD ferrites added to the nominal “Collector” and “Base” 577 terminals to assist suppress any parasitic DUT oscillations. Connectors have been additionally added to permit for exterior cables if desired (one thing now we have by no means used). The overall concept was to make use of the 6 banana jacks as help for holding the PCB in place with the ZIF on prime of the PCB the place one can immediately connect varied DUTs.
This method has labored properly and permits straightforward attachment of varied leaded-components together with the T0-126 and T0-220 energy units.
Determine 2 The customized adapter put in on the Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixture.
Making use of the curve tracer to an SMD DUT
Nevertheless, this nonetheless leaves the SMD sorts in want of a easy means to use with the Tek 577 curve tracer with the 177 fixture; we got down to examine this.
After finding out the strategies Tektronix utilized, we found some low-cost toggle clamps (discovered on AliExpress and elsewhere) that are used for clamping planar objects to a floor for machining. Determine 3 exhibits the customized toggle clamps used on a customized SMD DUT together with the customized adapter put in on the Tek 177 commonplace textual content fixture.
Determine 3 Customized toggle-type SMD adapter for the Tek 577 the place utilizing the pair of toggle arms permits each the proper and left sides of the Tek 177 fixture to be utilized for direct SMD element comparisons.
These clamps could possibly be repurposed to behave as a clamp to carry a SMD DUT in place, which resulted in a customized PCB being developed to mount immediately on prime of the ZIF-based PCB beforehand mentioned (Determine 4).
Determine 4 The customized SMD PCB that can be utilized with toggle clamps. This may be put in on the Tek 177 fixture for the Tek 577.
The toggle arms enable slight stress to be utilized to the SMD DUT the place the leads make contact with the PCB’s uncovered surfaces. Utilizing a pair of toggle arms permits each the proper and left sides of the Tek 177 fixture to be utilized for direct SMD element comparisons.
A connector on the rear of the PCB is mounted on the underside facet and mates with one other connector on the ZIF sort PCB, which permits connection to the 6 banana jacks that plug into the Tek 177 Fixture. 4 nylon standoffs present mechanical help and maintain the 2 PCBs collectively. This setup permits straightforward SMD element set up and elimination with little effort. Determine 5 exhibits each adapters for the Tek 577 with 177 commonplace take a look at fixture.
Determine 5 Each adapters for the Tek 577 with 177 commonplace take a look at fixture.
Each the ZIF and the SMD Adapters have served properly and permit most elements to be simply evaluated with the previous Tektronix 576 and 577 curve tracers. Determine 6 exhibits the customized toggle-type SMD adapter in motion with pair of DUTs.
Determine 6 Customized toggle-type SMD adapter in operation with pair of DUTs.
A phrase of warning
Only a phrase of warning when utilizing these and any adapters, fixtures, or leads with the Tek 576 and 577 curve tracers: these devices can produce deadly voltages throughout the uncovered terminals. The Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixtures have been initially provided with plastic protecting covers and sensor switches which eliminated the DUT stimulus when the plastic cowl was open. Within the previous Tek service manuals, there was a modification technique to defeat the Tek 177 sensor swap which many engineers employed, and plenty of additionally eliminated the plastic protecting covers.
Anyway, I hope some people fortunate sufficient to have an previous Tek 576 or 577 curve tracer with Tek 177 commonplace take a look at fixture discover these customized DIY adapters helpful in the event that they don’t have already got the previous Tek OEM elusive adapters!
Michael A Wyatt is a life member with IEEE and has continued to get pleasure from electronics ever since his childhood. Mike has an extended profession spanning Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Insyte/ITT/Ex-elis/Harris, ViaSat and retiring (semi) with Wyatt Labs. Throughout his profession he gathered 32 US Patents and previously printed just a few EDN Articles together with Finest Concept of the 12 months in 1989. All posts by Mike Wyatt beneath:
References
- “EEVblog Electronics Group Discussion board.” SMD Check Fixture for the Tektronix 576 Curve Tracer – Web page 1, www.eevblog.com/discussion board/tasks/smd-test-fixture-for-the-tektronix-576-curve-tracer/.
Associated Content material
- Tracing a transistor’s curves
- Throw it a curve (tracer)
- Hint voltage-current curves in your PC
- Utilizing oscilloscope X-Y shows
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The put up DIY customized Tektronix 576 & 577 curve tracer adapters appeared first on EDN.
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